The truth about argan oil

Moroccan Argan oil has become incredibly popular over the last few years as a hair and skin care product. So how do you know if what you buy is is of any good quality?

1. Packaging Clear or even worse plastic packaging is a gianormous no no!! This should be a very big red light alert! Any self respecting producer of Argan Oil knows the worth of this oil and would never ever put their precious oil in clear or worse plastic packaging. Clear packaging makes the oil deteriorate. The light breaks down the great properties of the oil. So make sure your argan oil comes in a dark glass bottle.

2.ReadRead your ingredient listing. ‘Pure Argan Serum’, ‘Moroccan Argan Oil’, ‘Moroccan Berber Oil’ are a few terms that are being used by hair care brands to make you think what you are buying is pure. It’s very simple. If argan oil is the fourth, fifth or sixth ingredient on the list, it means you are not getting the full benefits of the oil. You might as well go and crack open that very expensive bottle of champagne, dilute it with 20 liter of luke warm tap water and say you are drinking champagne. Catch my drift?

3. SmellPure Argan Oil does not contain any added perfumes or scents. Cosmetic argan Oil has this beautiful slight nutty scent that dissolves after a couple of seconds after application. If your oil smells really strong, it might mean that the oil has gone rancid.

4.Pricing'I got a bargain and paid ten dollars for this oil.' That is not going to happen I am afraid. Argan oil is a labour intensive oil, it takes a long time to produce one liter of this precious oil. On the bright side, you only need a small amount for your skin, nails and hair. A small bottle will last you anywhere from 3 to 6 months.

5. QualityLike olive oil, there are differences in quality in Argan Oil. Unfortunately the industry has gone absolutely rampant and there is more demand in Argan oil. Some producers don’t wait until the nuts have ripened and try to harvest the nuts before they are ready, which produces bad quality argan oil.

6.SedimentCheck your argan oil, if it is even and clear it might be too refined. Good quality cosmetic Argan Oil has some sediment or cloud. The less the oil has been put through strainers or deodorised the better.

7. Feel, look and touchPure Argan Oil has a beautiful light texture, it is not slimey and is absorbed by your skin immediately and has a light golden colour.

8. AgeThe freshest argan oil is the best oil. Look for oils that are recently pressed, not ones that are gathering dust on the shelves of shops. Mira’s Hand argan oil is flown out every three months and pressed in small batches especially for us.